One of the major problems facing natural gas vehicles is the storage of the gas, which requires high pressure gas in tanks (up to 3,600 lbs psi). This new system involves taking baked corn cobs (which we've all got lying around the house) and turning them into carbon cakes. These mini briquettes are able to hold significant amounts of natural gas (180 times their volume) without the need for a bulky tank and at a seventh of the pressure. This breakthrough was jointly developed by the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Midwest Research Institute, two organizations obviously dedicated to the ongoing national fascination with corn and cars.– Matt Hardigree